The Grammar Logs -- Number Forty-Five

The
Grammar
Logs
# 45

Question All the following utterances refer to the future, but the verb forms differ and the shades of meaning differ:

The President is due to arrive at 2pm. This is a part of a pre-arranged program. How is the future expressed here?
He's about to arrive. it's an expectation. How is the future expressed here?
The train leaves at 3 pm. the same question, how is the future expresses here?
He's taking his final exams in December. How is the future expressed here?
I have been asked these questions and I would like you, if possible, to help me answer them.
Thank you very much.
Source & Date
of Question Brazil
27 November 1997
Grammar's
Response It is perhaps unfortunate for people learning English as a second language that there are no simple endings or inflections to express the future tense (as -ed expresses the simple past, for example). Your examples are all present tense descriptions expressing current expectations that some event or condition will come to pass or exist in the future.

Question How do I create an outline using APA style?
Source & Date
of Question Hood River, Oregon
27 November 1997
Grammar's
Response The APA is never more difficult to follow than when it starts talking about Headings. I find no mention, however, of using the kind of outline you're talking about, where you assign numbers or letters to various components of your text. In fact, I gather it wouldn't be done. If you're talking about the kind of outline you might prepare to go along with your paper or as kind of a pre-writing exercise in structuring your thoughts, I'd recommend the MLA-style of outlining.

Question
I would like to know what are all the forms of a word? I mean a complete listing of what a word can be ?
Example: It can be verb, noun, pronoun etc.
Is it possible that you can tell me what are all legal/standard forms of words ?

Source & Date
of Question Redwood City, California
27 November 1997
Grammar's
Response It really sounds to me as though you need a good dictionary! Most dictionaries will list the various uses that can be made of any word. Is that what you mean, though?
The online Merriam-Webster's WWWebster Dictionary does a good job of this. Perhaps what you need, though, is a visit to a library where you can sit down with an unabridged dictionary.

Question I searched your web page and couldn't find this answer, so I had to ask.
I have seen and heard people use 'were' after the pronouns 'I' and 'it'. e.g. "If it were up to me, or if I were in charge." What is that all about? I remember conjugating all of the aux. verbs and distinctly remember only 'you' as needing the plural form . I.E. I am, you are, he is. I was, you were, he/she/it was. I even saw you follow 'it' with 'were' in one of your responses in the grammer log. Did I miss a class, or am I forgetting something?
Also, Why do People use 'persons' as the plural rather than 'people'. The news media will often say " 5 persons were injured in the shooting. " What are the rules there? Are they using creative license?
Source & Date
of Question Schenectady, New York
27 November 1997
Grammar's
Response Go to the Guide's section on verbs and then to the section on subjunctive mood. That's what you're talking about here, the subjunctive.
"Persons" is often used as a substitute for people when talking about a very few specifically identified individuals. Where you've used "persons," you could have used "people." Sometimes writers and reporters will use "persons" in an effort to sound smarter than the rest of us and end up sounding just stuffy.

Question
I don't know whether in the following title of a lecture I should put the definite articles or I should leave them out:
The law and the institutions in the sustainable development
or
Law and institutions in sustainable development
or
.....?
Thank you very much for your prompt reply.
Source & Date
of Question Trento, Italy
27 November 1997
Grammar's
Response I hate to put it this way, but it's going to depend on what you mean. You could easily eliminate all the the's of this title (as you do in your suggested revision), or you could leave the first the in there. There's a slightly different meaning between "law" and "the law," the latter suggesting (I think) the office, the procedures, etc. that make law work in a society. I think your "the-less" title is fine. You might also consider "The Law and Institutions of Sustainable Development."

Question What's a comma splice?
Source & Date
of Question Beirut, Lebanon
27 November 1997
Grammar's
Response
Review the section on comma splices in the electronic handout on Run-on sentences. A comma-splice is a kind of run-on sentence in which two independent clauses (which probably ought to be combined with a comma plus a little coordinating conjunction or by a semicolon) are connected by only a comma. To splice is to connect or to combine (in this case, incorrectly).
I should do it this way, I forgot
I should do it this way, but I forgot.

Question What is an appositive?

ex.: Hammurabi, a king of ancient Babylonia, developed one of the first law codes.

Source & Date
of Question Unknown
29 November 1997
Grammar's
Response An appositive is a word or phrase that identifies (or "re-names") a preceding word or phrase. In the example you give, the phrase "a king of ancient Babylonia" identifies Hammurabi for us. If the appositive phrase can be removed from the sentence without changing the essential meaning of the sentence, it is treated as a parenthetical element and is thus enclosed within commas.

Question I am a first year student of Linguistics at University College London, UK. I am trying to get as wide a spectrum of opinions as possible on whether Grammar should be taught at school (i.e. starting in Primary education). Your opinion would be appreciated.
Source & Date
of Question London, England
29 November 1997
Grammar's
Response Absolutely. In some cases, it might help students to become better writers. It would help all students to become better thinkers.

Question Why is the expression "according to me" incorrect ?
Source & Date
of Question Toulouse, France
29 November 1997
Grammar's
Response I'm not sure this is a grammatical question. It's probably a logical problem. Can I (the speaker) say that something is true "in conformity with me" or that something is true "as stated or attested by me." I think the very nature of being in accord assumes the existence of another, something or someone outside the speaker. "According to me" sounds what? solipsistic?

Question
In the quiz section of your Web site, you say:
Select the sentence which illustrates the use of proper parallel construction.
Shouldn't the "which" be "that"?

Source & Date
of Question Washington, D.C.
30 November 1997
Grammar's
Response The word that can be used only to introduce restrictive clauses; the word which can be used to introduce either restrictive or nonrestrictive clauses.
Authority: The Little, Brown Handbook by H. Ramsay Fowler and Jane E. Aaron, & Kay Limburg. 6th ed. HarperCollins: New York. 1995. By permission of Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc.
I recommend Mike Quinion's article on the differences between these two words.

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Question	All the following utterances refer to the future, but the verb forms differ and the shades of meaning differ: The President is due to arrive at 2pm. This is a part of a pre-arranged program. How is the future expressed here? He's about to arrive. it's an expectation. How is the future expressed here? The train leaves at 3 pm. the same question, how is the future expresses here? He's taking his final exams in December. How is the future expressed here? I have been asked these questions and I would like you, if possible, to help me answer them. Thank you very much.
Source & Date of Question	Brazil 27 November 1997
Grammar's Response	It is perhaps unfortunate for people learning English as a second language that there are no simple endings or inflections to express the future tense (as -ed expresses the simple past, for example). Your examples are all present tense descriptions expressing current expectations that some event or condition will come to pass or exist in the future.

Question	I would like to know what are all the forms of a word? I mean a complete listing of what a word can be ? Example: It can be verb, noun, pronoun etc. Is it possible that you can tell me what are all legal/standard forms of words ?
Source & Date of Question	Redwood City, California 27 November 1997
Grammar's Response	It really sounds to me as though you need a good dictionary! Most dictionaries will list the various uses that can be made of any word. Is that what you mean, though? The online Merriam-Webster's WWWebster Dictionary does a good job of this. Perhaps what you need, though, is a visit to a library where you can sit down with an unabridged dictionary.

Question	I searched your web page and couldn't find this answer, so I had to ask. I have seen and heard people use 'were' after the pronouns 'I' and 'it'. e.g. "If it were up to me, or if I were in charge." What is that all about? I remember conjugating all of the aux. verbs and distinctly remember only 'you' as needing the plural form . I.E. I am, you are, he is. I was, you were, he/she/it was. I even saw you follow 'it' with 'were' in one of your responses in the grammer log. Did I miss a class, or am I forgetting something? Also, Why do People use 'persons' as the plural rather than 'people'. The news media will often say " 5 persons were injured in the shooting. " What are the rules there? Are they using creative license?
Source & Date of Question	Schenectady, New York 27 November 1997
Grammar's Response	Go to the Guide's section on verbs and then to the section on subjunctive mood. That's what you're talking about here, the subjunctive. "Persons" is often used as a substitute for people when talking about a very few specifically identified individuals. Where you've used "persons," you could have used "people." Sometimes writers and reporters will use "persons" in an effort to sound smarter than the rest of us and end up sounding just stuffy.

Question	I don't know whether in the following title of a lecture I should put the definite articles or I should leave them out: The law and the institutions in the sustainable development or Law and institutions in sustainable development or .....? Thank you very much for your prompt reply.
Source & Date of Question	Trento, Italy 27 November 1997
Grammar's Response	I hate to put it this way, but it's going to depend on what you mean. You could easily eliminate all the the's of this title (as you do in your suggested revision), or you could leave the first the in there. There's a slightly different meaning between "law" and "the law," the latter suggesting (I think) the office, the procedures, etc. that make law work in a society. I think your "the-less" title is fine. You might also consider "The Law and Institutions of Sustainable Development."

Question	What's a comma splice?
Source & Date of Question	Beirut, Lebanon 27 November 1997
Grammar's Response	Review the section on comma splices in the electronic handout on Run-on sentences. A comma-splice is a kind of run-on sentence in which two independent clauses (which probably ought to be combined with a comma plus a little coordinating conjunction or by a semicolon) are connected by only a comma. To splice is to connect or to combine (in this case, incorrectly). I should do it this way, I forgot I should do it this way, but I forgot.

Question	How do I create an outline using APA style?
Source & Date of Question	Hood River, Oregon 27 November 1997
Grammar's Response	The APA is never more difficult to follow than when it starts talking about Headings. I find no mention, however, of using the kind of outline you're talking about, where you assign numbers or letters to various components of your text. In fact, I gather it wouldn't be done. If you're talking about the kind of outline you might prepare to go along with your paper or as kind of a pre-writing exercise in structuring your thoughts, I'd recommend the MLA-style of outlining.

Question	What is an appositive? ex.: Hammurabi, a king of ancient Babylonia, developed one of the first law codes.
Source & Date of Question	Unknown 29 November 1997
Grammar's Response	An appositive is a word or phrase that identifies (or "re-names") a preceding word or phrase. In the example you give, the phrase "a king of ancient Babylonia" identifies Hammurabi for us. If the appositive phrase can be removed from the sentence without changing the essential meaning of the sentence, it is treated as a parenthetical element and is thus enclosed within commas.

Question	I am a first year student of Linguistics at University College London, UK. I am trying to get as wide a spectrum of opinions as possible on whether Grammar should be taught at school (i.e. starting in Primary education). Your opinion would be appreciated.
Source & Date of Question	London, England 29 November 1997
Grammar's Response	Absolutely. In some cases, it might help students to become better writers. It would help all students to become better thinkers.

Question	Why is the expression "according to me" incorrect ?
Source & Date of Question	Toulouse, France 29 November 1997
Grammar's Response	I'm not sure this is a grammatical question. It's probably a logical problem. Can I (the speaker) say that something is true "in conformity with me" or that something is true "as stated or attested by me." I think the very nature of being in accord assumes the existence of another, something or someone outside the speaker. "According to me" sounds what? solipsistic?